Steve Graham
Encyclopedia
Steve Graham is an Australian Paralympic winter sport coach. He was head coach of Australia's Winter Paralympic team for the 1994 Winter Paralympics
, 2006 Winter Paralympics
and the 2010 Winter Paralympics
. , Graham is the current head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport
's Winter Paralympic program.
. His hobbies include doing pilates
, spending time with his family and going to the beach.
, Australia's first Winter Paralympics medallist. Milton gave one of the gold medals he earned at the 2002 Winter Paralympics
to Graham. Graham also coached Jessica Gallagher
, Australia's first Winter Paralympic medallist, and Cameron Rahles Rahbula
. He helped the Australian ski team finish sixth at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Korea in 2009, where two athletes that he coached individually, Cameron Rahles‐Rahbula and Shannon Dallas, finished in first place. Other athletes he has coached include Mitchell Gourley, who finished first in the giant slalom event at Australian National Skiing Championships.
Graham was the assistant coach for the team at the 1992 Winter Paralympics
. He then became head coach of Australia's Winter Paralympic team for the 1994 Winter Paralympics
, 2006 Winter Paralympics
and the 2010 Winter Paralympics
. In 2003, he was named the Australian Paralympic Committee
’s Winter Paralympic Program head coach, and in 2010 signed a four year deal to remain on in the position. , Graham is the current head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport
's Winter Paralympic program. According to an interview published on the Australian Paralympic Committee
site, his immediate priority is to prepare athletes for the 2014 Winter Paralympics
, while at the same time working to insure the Australian winter sport program will be competitive for the 2018 Winter Paralympics
. Part of the effort involves having an athlete retention of seventy-five percent.
Graham has spoken out against the classification system used by the International Paralympic Committee
when it comes to classifying skiers. He felt the system was unfair. In an interview with Cerebral Palsy Australia, he said "We have three of the best 5 or 6 skiers in the world in the standing class and in the old system we would’ve won 8 or 10 medals. The new system definitely affected the Australian team achieving its medal goals.”
1994 Winter Paralympics
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation...
, 2006 Winter Paralympics
2006 Winter Paralympics
The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
and the 2010 Winter Paralympics
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
. , Graham is the current head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
's Winter Paralympic program.
Personal
Graham was born on 23 January 1962 in Palm Beach, QueenslandPalm Beach, Queensland
Palm Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, between Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek. At the 2006 Census, Palm Beach had a population of 13,494....
. His hobbies include doing pilates
Pilates
Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany, the UK and the USA. As of 2005, there were 11 million people practicing the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States....
, spending time with his family and going to the beach.
Coaching
Graham is a skiing coach for Paralympic athletes whose focus is coaching on sitting, standing and vision impaired skiers. His coaching philosophy involves athletes training hard every day as if the next day they would be competing in an event. He mentored and coached Michael MiltonMichael Milton
Michael John Milton, OAM is an Australian Winter Paralympic skier and cyclist. He lost a leg to bone cancer when he was nine years old...
, Australia's first Winter Paralympics medallist. Milton gave one of the gold medals he earned at the 2002 Winter Paralympics
2002 Winter Paralympics
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated....
to Graham. Graham also coached Jessica Gallagher
Jessica Gallagher
Jessica Gallagher is a Paralympic alpine skier from Geelong, Victoria. She was Australia's second female winter Paralympian, and the first Australian woman to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics....
, Australia's first Winter Paralympic medallist, and Cameron Rahles Rahbula
Cameron Rahles Rahbula
Cameron Rahles Rahbula is a Paralympic alpine skier from Australia. He won a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games in the Men's Slalom standing event and a bronze medal in the Men's Super Combined standing event.-References:...
. He helped the Australian ski team finish sixth at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Korea in 2009, where two athletes that he coached individually, Cameron Rahles‐Rahbula and Shannon Dallas, finished in first place. Other athletes he has coached include Mitchell Gourley, who finished first in the giant slalom event at Australian National Skiing Championships.
Graham was the assistant coach for the team at the 1992 Winter Paralympics
1992 Winter Paralympics
The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Olympic Games. They were held in Tignes and Albertville, France, from March 25 to April 1, 1992...
. He then became head coach of Australia's Winter Paralympic team for the 1994 Winter Paralympics
1994 Winter Paralympics
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation...
, 2006 Winter Paralympics
2006 Winter Paralympics
The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
and the 2010 Winter Paralympics
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
. In 2003, he was named the Australian Paralympic Committee
Australian Paralympic Committee
The Australian Paralympic Committee is the National Paralympic Committee in Australia for the Paralympic Games movement. It oversees the means by which Australia participates at the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.-History:...
’s Winter Paralympic Program head coach, and in 2010 signed a four year deal to remain on in the position. , Graham is the current head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
's Winter Paralympic program. According to an interview published on the Australian Paralympic Committee
Australian Paralympic Committee
The Australian Paralympic Committee is the National Paralympic Committee in Australia for the Paralympic Games movement. It oversees the means by which Australia participates at the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.-History:...
site, his immediate priority is to prepare athletes for the 2014 Winter Paralympics
2014 Winter Paralympics
The 2014 Winter Paralympics, officially known as the XI Paralympic Winter Games, will be held from March 7 to March 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia...
, while at the same time working to insure the Australian winter sport program will be competitive for the 2018 Winter Paralympics
2018 Winter Paralympics
The 2018 Winter Paralympics, officially known as the XII Paralympic Winter Games, will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea , and is an international winter sports athletic event that has yet to be organized by the International Paralympic Committee . The International Olympic Committee , received...
. Part of the effort involves having an athlete retention of seventy-five percent.
Graham has spoken out against the classification system used by the International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
when it comes to classifying skiers. He felt the system was unfair. In an interview with Cerebral Palsy Australia, he said "We have three of the best 5 or 6 skiers in the world in the standing class and in the old system we would’ve won 8 or 10 medals. The new system definitely affected the Australian team achieving its medal goals.”